Motvind Records continues to collaborate with musician and composer Signe Emmeluth in an attempt to present art music that emphasizes deep listening, reflection and expressive emotions. Vossajazz is a really cool jazz festival, it has a rich program history and are still holding the line. They’ve commissioned many works from composing jazz musicians, and one […]
Poesi på bristepunktet (Poetry at the Breaking Point) is a series of collaborations between author Aasne Linnestå and composer and performer Maja S. K. Ratkje with fellow musicians. The author sits onstage writing poetry in real time, projected on a large screen visible to the audience. The musicians accompany, respond to and interpret the words.
Poesi på bristepunktet Read More »
“Each piece in the magical Rökkur journey reveals more brilliant and imaginative sonic marvels.”
Rökkur reviews (in English, German, French, Italian, Norwegian) Read More »
For the immersive concert experience Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (Göteborgs Symfoniker) has commissioned orchestral works from five prominent composers from all Nordic countries, Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland), Miho Hazama (Denmark), Mats Larsson Gothe (Sweden), Maja S. K. Ratkje (Norway) and Outi Tarkiainen (Finland). Drawing inspiration from the Nordic nature, each commission in “Nordic – A Fragile Hope”
Nordic: A Fragile Hope Read More »
Article published in the book A Sound Word Almanac, edited by Bernd Herzogenrath, 2023. To read, order the book at Bloomsbury Academic. This almanac of sound words important to artists and scholars highlights words that expand the way we speak (and write) about sonic experiences. Why write about sound, and how? If sonic philosophy is
This article is published on paper in Magasinet Motvind nr. 2, 2022. I might republish it here in the future. Link to website
Det eneste jeg vet er at det ikke er en elv (NO) Read More »
2023; dur: 30; Wind Orch.; Score at Wise Music Classical
Symphony of Broken Anthems Read More »
With a wide range of work by sound artists and musicians, writers, filmmakers, photographers, and visual artists, @ovid’s Metamorphoses uses the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching consequences as an instrument for change, artistic and otherwise. A play on experiment across various fields of artistic practice, all featured work revolves around ideas of transmission and inspiration,
(c)ovid’s metamorphoses Read More »
Øra Fonogram announces the worldwide release of RÖKKUR, the joint album of Norwegian composer and performer Maja S. K. Ratkje and Icelandic ensemble Nordic Affect (Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir, Marie Stockmarr Becker, Hanna Loftsdóttir, Guðrún Óskarsdóttir). RÖKKUR on Bandcamp RÖKKUR on streaming other services Read the great album reviews here. What is ‘rökkur’? ‘Rökkur’ is the
The latest album release by acclaimed Norwegian band Erlend Apneseth Trio is made in collaboration with renowned experimental composer and vocalist Maja S. K. Ratkje. Their impromptu concert together in 2022 was a glorious kick-off for a five-day festival and was luckily put on tape. After reworking and reimagining the recorded material with their steady
Tracing Arne Nordheim in the digital archives of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) First published in a pamphlet published by Arne Nordheim’s Composer’s Prize 2022, Hild Borchgrevink, editor and translation, with support from Arts Council Norway. The original article in Norwegian Opus 1 In a TV studio, inside a white pavilion scenography, surrounded by dried
Et blikk på Nordheim via NRKs digitale arkiv Først publisert i en pamfletten utgitt av Arne Nordheims komponistpris 2022, red. Hild Borchgrevink, støttet av Norsk kulturfond. English translation Opus 1 I et TV-studio, i en hvit kulisse-paviljong, omgitt av chiffongardiner og tørre kvister blir Nordheims opus 1 framført av Den Norske Strykekvartett. Verket er fra
Det som skal til (NO) Read More »
Tekst skrevet til Da musikken våknet (Absolutt Forlag, 2022) Leste koronaberetningen min igjen, den fra to år tilbake, rett før siste nedstengning av alle scener. En positivistisk holdning i den, tross alt, med en bakenforliggende visshet og forventning om at alt skulle tilbake til normalt igjen. Livet går jo videre, verden beveger seg fra unntakstilstand
Etter koronaen (NO) Read More »
2023; dur: 60’30; Audio file and quartet: Fl/Bsn, BCl, Vln, Vc or Hn, BTbn, Vln, Vc; Video by Hypercomf; Score at Score at nb.no; Film version also available
Michele Bianchini – saxophone Composers: Andrea Nicoli, Anna Clyne, Antonio Agostini, Maja S. K. Ratkje, Malin Bång, Mark Andre, Olga Neuwirth, Salvatore Sciarrino. On this album: ØX Published by Da Vinci Classics 2023
ANTITHESIS: Contemporary Saxophone Music Read More »
Volume 1 double LP version out spring 2023.Volume 2 double LP version out autumn 2023.Volumes 1 & 2 double CD version out autumn 2023. released February 13, 2023 On this album: Blueberry Daydream, performed by Blåbærtoppen Spelemannslag MOTORPSYCHO TRIBUTE SERIES · PSYCHONAUT 101Link to album on Bandcamp Side A: MONOLITE – Heartattack Mac (Gebhardt/Ryan/Sæther) 6:22Jonas
Motorpsycho Tribute Series Volume 1 Read More »
“Bocian Records presents a compilation with recordings from few of his favorite artists who were kind enough to agree to make their work available to support the Border Group.For almost a year, the whole responsibility for helping refugees on the Polish-Belarusian border lies on the shoulders of local residents, volunteers and a few non-governmental organizations.Border
Various Artists: “The Border” Read More »
Posted in Free Jazz Blog, Nov 19, 2022 SPUNK. Photo (c) Eckhart Derschmidt “(…) The next performance was by the long-standing outfit in this year’s program. The Norwegian quartet SPUNK (the name comes from Astrid Lindgren’s character Pippi Longstocking who invented the word “spunk” and then spent the day looking for a meaning for the word)
Music Unlimited Festival 36 Read More »
21 tracks based on recordings by 33 artists, among them Maja S. K. Ratkje. Released November 2022. Label: Cellule 75 Music and Art Direction by Marc RichterMastering by Rashad BeckerPaintings by Bora Baskan Link to album on Bandcamp
Music for the film with the same title. Sound track to the great animation movie Titina by Kåre Chr. Vestrheim. “Je Cherche Après Tititine (Titina in the Street)” and “Je Cherche Après Tititine (Titina´s Musical Trip Version)” featuring Ratkje as a vocal soloist. Released by Propeller Recordings Oct 2022 and available at streaming services.